Fuel-feeding device for boiler-furnaces.



PATENTED APR. 23, 1907.

J. & W. REAGAN. FUEL FEEDING DEVICE FOR BOILER FURNACES.

APPLICATION FILED JULYG. 1906.

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J. & W; RBAG-AN.

FUEL FEEDING DEVICE FOR BOILER FURNACES. APPLICATION FILED JULY a. 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES REAGAN AND WILLIAM REAGAN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENN- SYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 23, 1907.

Application filed July 6,1906. Serial No. 324,989.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JAMES REAGAN and WILLIAM REAGAN, citizens of theUnited States, and residents of the city and county of Philadelphia,State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Fuel-FeedingDevice for Boiler-Furnaces, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Our invention relates to feeding fuel Inechanically to boiler furnaceswhereby the same is supplied to the furnace; at short or long intervals,in such quantities as the furnace may demand to maintain a bed of fuelof uniform thickness for proper combustion.

Our invention consists of a series of pushers arranged to reciprocateand to start and stop automatically beneath a hopper located on theboiler front, by means of which a certain quantity of fuel is projectedforward on to the dead plate and thence to the grate, motion beingcommunicated to the saidpushers by means of a driven shaft; upon whichis located a time feed arranged to permit a fast or slow movement or aslight pause as occasions may require.

Reference is. had to the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1, is a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 2, is an end view ofsame. Fig. 3, is a transverse section of same, showing the upper portionof an inclined grate, connected therewith. Fig. 4, is front view of abi-furcated.

bracket for carrying the driving shafts. Fig.

5, is a longitudinal section (enlarged scale) partially broken, taken onthe line AB of Fig. 3, Fig. 6, is an end View of one of the pushers.Fig. 7, is a plan view of the under surface of same Fig. 8, is a sideview-of a flange supporting bracket for the inner ends -of the pushers.

The end plates 1 and 2, Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, which constitute part ofthe frame work of the machine, are mounted upon and secured to legs 3and 4, and also to the boiler front by means of flanges, 5 and 6, and onthe inner surface of each plate are formed lugs, 7 and 8,

the pushers 14. The said pushers are arranged in sections across theboiler front extending the full width of the furnace, at the height ofthe dead plate, as shown in Fig. 1, and are so adjusted beneath thehopper, 15, that the fuel falling in-front of them is thrust forwardthrough a suitable opening in the boiler front on to the grate or firebed at regular intervals, as they continue to slide in and out. In crosssection these pushers, 14, are made angular; having a closed top, sideand ends, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, and have their outer extremitiessupported to move in parallel guides formed by lugs, 16 and 17, on theinner surface of the end plates 1 and 2.

The hopper, 15, has its front wall, 26, provided with ends flanges 27and 28, for securing it to the end plates 1 and 2, and to theintermediate brackets 10 and 11, and is further provided with alongitudinal flange 29, to which is bolted brackets 30, 31 and 32, tocarry the driven shaft 33, and spindles 34. The said brackets, 30, 31and 32, are located in the rear of the pushers and have their upperflanges, 37 and 37, bolted to the flange 29, and their lower flanges 38and 38, similarly secured to the flange, 39, of the bed plate. Eachbracket is provided with an upper bearing, 40, for the shaft 33, and alower elongated bearing, 41, to support the short spindles, 34, carryinggear wheels 42 and 42", which mesh with similar wheels 43 and 43,mounted upon the shaft 33. The aforesaid spindles, 34, are also providedat their outer ends with cranks 44 and 44, so spaced as to be in linewith lugs 45 and 45, formed on the lower surface of the pushers, 14, towhich they are pivoted through connecting rods or links 46 and 46. Theselugs 45 and 45, are located near the ends; so that when motion isapplied to the pushers they will move in and out parallel, as shown inFigs. 3, 5, and 7.

The driving mechanism consists of the driving shaft, 47, supported inbearings, 48 and 48, at one end of the machine, and carrying a pulley,49, and worm, 50, which meshes with a toothed wheel, 51, looselysupported upon the shaft, 33. The said wheel, 51, is provided with aspiral groove, on its outer face, into which works a sliding boltconnected with a two part cross head located on the shaft, 33. When thesliding bolt is in contact with the stud in the spiral groove; the shaft33, and spindles 34, move in unison through the gear wheels 42 and 43,and upon the withdrawal of the bolt; the toothed wheel 51, which isloose on the shaft, con tinues to revolve with the worm, while the shaft33, remains motionless; at the same time the pushers cease to move, thuscutting off for the time being the supply of fuel to the furnaces, untilthe sliding bolt has traversed the spiral groove and isagain in contactwith the stud these features are more fully set forth in a patent issuedto us under date of June 19th 1906, No. 823,549, and therefore, need nofuller explanation.

Having thus described our invention what we desire to secure by LettersPatent, is set forth in the following claims, which are allsubstantially as described.

1. In a fuel feeding device for furnaces, the combination of a drivingshaft having a direct intermittent rotary'movement, gear wheels mountedthereon, a series of second ary spindles located beneath the same, gearwheels with crank arms formed on the sides thereof; mounted upon theends of said spindles tomesh with the teeth on the driving shaft,a-bracket having duplex bearings for the shaft and spindles, a hopperand bed plate, intermediate brackets provided with spaced lugs extendingon both sides, thereof,

pushers having end projections and antifriction wheels arranged to workbetween the aforesaid spaced lugs, and a hopper furnished with flangedends; secured to the end plates and to the intermediate brackets,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specifications inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J AMES REAGAN. WILLIAM REAGAN.

Witnesses:

J. G. WHOLEY, EMERSON CONRAD. 4

